n

n

n

n

nThe opposing keeper made a desperate leap, trying to reach the ball despite his unfavorable situation.

nEven so, he failed to land a touch.

nUpon seeing the scene on the field, many in the stands grew anxious. Their heart thumped while their expression turned sour.

nSwoop!

nThe stadium that had been bursting with energy until a moment ago became eerily silent as the ball glided inside the post.

nTheir heart sank as a feeling of shock gripped their heart.

nJust what took place on the field?

nMany players on the opposing side had a look of disbelief on their faces. Everything happened so fast that they couldn’t even bring themselves to react.

nWhile those who had failed to stop Tatsuki seemed quite dejected.

nOn the other hand, Hiro and his teammates began to celebrate. It had only been a few seconds since the start of the match. Yet they had already taken the lead.

nA feeling of euphoria washed over the players of Japan. Especially Tatsuki, his feet were in the clouds. However, due to the limited number of Japanese fans, he could only celebrate the goal among themselves.

nWhile they were busy celebrating, Kvicha’s gaze fell upon Hiro. Though it was Tatsuki who had scored, he knew that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Hiro.

nFollow current novls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

nDespite the simplicity that through-pass seemed so unreal. Just how daring was he to execute such a move with such confidence?

nIt was almost similar to the one he had seen previously once.

nTo execute such a move wasn’t an easy feat.

nFortunately, it was only a friendly match. Otherwise, their reputation would have taken a hit for sure had it been in an official match. They’d be labeled as the nation to concede one of the fastest goals in the history of football.

n‘Was it a fluke or was it our ignorance?’ He thought. complacently staring at Hiro.

nDespite the brilliance behind that pass, he was reluctant to admit that it was pure skill. Yet still, one thing was becoming clear to him; they couldn’t play safe just because it was a friendly match or else they’d be humiliated.

nTheir celebration didn’t last long due to the limited number of fans present at the venue. So after celebrating for a little while they returned to their position to resume the match.

nLess than a minute and the home side were already trailing. This dampened the mood of the home fans a little. But precisely because they had a lot of time remaining, they were still optimistic to level the score.

nBeep!

nThe match resumed as everybody assumed their position.

nThe opposing players appeared much more vigilant than ever after conceding such an embarrassing goal. For sure they had learned their lesson.

nCarefully treading their way they tried to level the score.

nEven so, how would the Japanese players make it easy for them to accomplish their goals?

nTheir every effort to equalize was thwarted by the Japanese players. It didn’t matter whether they struck them from the flanks or center.

nAs for their star player, Tomiyasu delivered on his promise as he pocketed him.

nTomiyasi wasn’t particularly strong. But he had an uncanny ability to read the game. Relying on his ability, he put a stop to the opposing number seven.

nAs for Hiro, he fully made use of his newly acquired talent to its fullest. Mostly operating in the center of the pitch, he fully covered the midfield area.

nHe wasn’t particularly good at defending but relying on his newly acquired talent, he made many successful steals throughout the first half.

nPreviously defending had been his weakest link but right now it seemed that he had found something to cover his flaws. Well, he wasn’t required to defend in the first place since he was an attacking midfielder.

nBut as a midfielder, defending was still one of his responsibility.

nIf only he was a striker, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But he was a midfielder, so he was required to participate in the defense as well.

nOn the sidelines, Nanami had a rather satiated expression on his face. Though his team hadn’t been able to score another goal, he was satisfied with the improvement of Hiro.

n‘You stayed true to your words’ he thought while recalling Hiro’s earlier words. Though he was feeling quite elated with Hiro’s progress, he didn’t show it on his face. After all, he decided to start him. Despite his talent, many were against starting him due to his age. But he had put his trust in him.

nAnd right now, he only proved it right.

n‘I was indeed right to start you.’

nAlmost forty minutes had passed since the start of the match. But after that early goal from Japan, neither side had managed to score.

nAnd the score had remained 1:0 until now.

nJust then in the 42nd minute of the match, Hiro once again made a brilliant steal after calculating the play of the opposing players. To many, it seemed like a blunder from the

nopposing player.

nBut if only they could see what’s on Hiro’s head they would know that it wasn’t a blunder but a calculated tactic.

nThe shocking part was that it was Kvicha who had given the ball away.

nIt was supposed to be a thorough pass to one of his teammates. But how did he calculate where he was aiming? It wasn’t as simple as a steal. Without knowing how to position

nhimself, it would have been almost impossible to steal.

nSo, he must have waited for him to make the pass.

nUpon finding the ball stolen, Kvicha panicked as several thoughts flashed past his mind. But he immediately composed himself as he tried to right his mistake.

nBut if only he knew about Hiro’s trump card, he might have thought differently.

nHowever, since he was unaware of Hiro’s trump card, he made a grave mistake by rushing to him. He had predicted that he could win the ball back by sprinting onto him.

nBut he wasn’t aware of Hiro’s acceleration since they didn’t have any records of him. They had studied other players but not him.

n